Mark Zuckerberg has always had the eye of the tiger when it comes to business, namely investments. Zuckerberg who recently purchased WhatsApp made an announcement today that he will be purchasing Oculus Rift VR for about $2B. Oculus which means “eye” in latin is a virtual 3D headset which is in its development stages.
Zuckerberg said:
“Our mission is to make the world more open and connected. For the past few years, this has mostly meant building mobile apps that help you share with the people you care about. We have a lot more to do on mobile, but at this point we feel we’re in a position where we can start focusing on what platforms will come next to enable even more useful, entertaining and personal experiences.
This is where Oculus comes in. They build virtual reality technology, like the Oculus Rift headset. When you put it on, you enter a completely immersive computer-generated environment, like a game or a movie scene or a place far away. The incredible thing about the technology is that you feel like you’re actually present in another place with other people. People who try it say it’s different from anything they’ve ever experienced in their lives.”
The developer version of the headset is DVI and HDMI capable with a USB interface.
“After games, we’re going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home…”
With Oculus having taken 75, 000 orders for the Rift VR already, can’t wait to see what he does with this. The internet doesn’t seem to be too fond of the idea.
What Does the Tweets Say?
On a serious note, it’s weird how quickly the Oculus is now uncool by association. My interest in it has diminished substantially.
— Jem Alexander (@jemalexander) March 25, 2014
Huh. Facebook bought Oculus. Weird.
— Dan Pearce (@GameDesignDan) March 25, 2014
Another example of Microsoft Corp Dev falling asleep at the wheel. Going to miss the next wave of gaming. #Oculus
— Steve Schlafman (@schlaf) March 25, 2014
In virtual reality, perhaps you need banks to do an M&A deal — but in reality, you don’t. Facebook/Oculus shuts out bankers from deal fees.
— Alex Sherman (@sherman4949) March 25, 2014
Facebook buying Oculus is seriously the single lamest turn of events I could imagine for that thing.
— Andreas SR (@sunjammer) March 25, 2014